Rest, play and celebrate the beauty of being a human ‘being’

Rest is an essential part of the creative cycle and therefore the cycle of life. Everything in nature moves within the following steps: creation, maintenance, and dissolution. Each breath you take has its full cycle, each task you face, each meal you take, and each smile you make 😉 Think of the cycle of one day that begins when you wake up, lasts until you prepare to go to bed, and ends with sleep. Deep rest during sleep state is essential to allows for the next cycle to begin from the highest place. If you’ve had a good night sleep, the next day will go pretty smoothly even when obstacles come your way, and you’ll find inspiration and solutions more easily. However, if you haven’t rested deeply enough, you’ll need other strategies to help you cope with the ups and downs of life .

Daily meditation is a great tool for you to recharge fully and bring efficiency to your actions. It is the best way I know to enhance your quality of sleep, as tensions, like anxiety, are released in deep meditation, which in turn supports your ability to rest. It is in the rest and digest after the final phase of each cycle that space is given for inspiration to arise and for new projects and ideas to emerge. (In Tantra Philosophy we refer to two more steps in the cycle of life: concealment and revelation, which will be the theme of a future blog.) Without balance between rest and play, our nervous system ages faster, our quality of life reduces and clarity of mind is impaired.

In preparation for and during the holiday season, make sure you get enough rest. Not only will most of us be given many opportunities to celebrate, but we’ll receive from our bodies and minds lots of invitation to rest! While work, play, and celebration are necessary, and often fulfilling parts of life, a balanced lifestyle includes equal portions of rest and play.

Here is some advice to end 2016 in an auspicious way, which will help you begin the New Year optimally energized.

“Take pauses; say “no, thanks”; sleep; and meditate to sustain your tranquility. Rest gives you time to be with yourself, lie in your own arms and feel who you are. When you rest, your connection with life and its cycles is restored and deepened, opening your heart, so you can celebrate life.”

“Play naturally follows pleasure: say “yes”; cultivate the activities that bring you joy and stimulate your creativity. Feast on gatherings with your favourite people. Be where sacred space opens – a space where your dreams and blessings can be shared and heard.”

“You are a human being, not a human doing. You are meant to be in harmony with yourself, enjoying life in all its forms and offerings.”

Rest, play, and celebrate the deep beauty of being human with those you love. Have a really happy Holiday Season!